There’s a sense of optimism in the air as the Jets look for their fourth win of the season and third in as many weeks when they return home to take on the Raiders in Week 12.
New York returns home to play a Raiders team that is atrocious away from Oakland, and the implications of this game could affect the AFC playoff picture – just not for the Jets.
The Jets want to win now to prove to their fanbase they have the capability to compete in the future, but it won’t be easy against a team that’s been on a hot streak of its own. The Raiders have won their last three games behind a run-heavy approach and a defense that’s sacked the quarterback 10 times in the past two weeks to improve to 6-4.
Oakland will be the Jets’ biggest test since the Patriots in Week 7 despite the fact they lost games to both the Jaguars and the Dolphins before back-to-back wins over the Giants and Redskins. However, the Raiders have been atrocious away from home this season, which gives the Jets a legitimate chance to emerge victoriously on Sunday.
With that being said, here are four things to know about the Jets’ Week 12 game.
Raiders’ road woes
When the Raiders play away from Oakland, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league so far this season.
Oakland is 1-3 in road games this season and has allowed an average of 32.8 points in those games compared to the 24.6 they allow at home.
The Raiders’ defense has been particularly bad on the away from home, ranking near the bottom of the league in sack percentage (2.8%), yards per pass play (8.2), passer rating (118.5) and passing touchdown percentage (8.6). This bodes well for the Jets’ offense if they don’t turn the ball over and find the right spots to hit on Sunday.
Jamal Adams could break a record
Jets safety Jamal Adams needs only two sacks against the Raiders to tie and three to break the NFL record for defensive backs (eight) set by Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson in 2011.
Adams has been on a tear lately with five sacks over the past two weeks but will go up against one of the better pass-blocking teams in the league. Oakland’s offensive line has only allowed 15 sacks this season, the second-fewest in the NFL and ranks sixth in pass protection according to Football Outsiders.
Gregg Williams has been incredibly creative with his utilization of Adams, frequently blitzing him from the edge and from his safety position. It will be hard for Adams to grab three sacks this week, but he’s confident he’ll break the record before season’s end.
Le’Veon Bell’s decreased role
The Jets have significantly lessened Le’Veon Bell’s snaps over the past two weeks.
Bell’s snap percentage has dropped from between 84.5-100 percent in the first eight games of the season to 73.8 percent in Week 10 an only 55.7 percent in Week 11. Adam Gase said it was to keep Bell fresh for the entire season as well as mix up the offense with running backs like Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery.
Bell has dealt with multiple ailments this season, so it’s not really a surprise to see his usage dipping as the season progresses. What will be most telling is how the Jets use him against a defense that just gave up 173 rushing yards to the Bengals and 319 yards in the past two weeks.
Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet’s biggest test
Somehow, someway, Bless Austin and Arthur Maulet have turned into a dynamic cornerback duo for the Jets.
Over the past two games, the two have allowed eight catches on 16 targets for 58 yards (2.6 yards per target) and two first downs, per Pro Football Focus. Granted, they’ve played against two rookies on bad offenses but the production stands.
Derek Carr and the Raiders’ offense will be the best the two have faced together this season and will test their true ability on the field. Carr is second in the NFL in completion percentage (72.3) and has the sixth-highest passer rating through Week 11 (105.2). He also has pass-catchers like tight end Darren Waller and wideouts Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow and Zay Jones. None are world-beaters, but they’re better and more experienced that a lot of the players the Jets have faced the past two weeks.
